Enhance Your Practice with Predictable, Life-Changing Results
As a dentist, you know the challenges all too well. That moment when you’re trying to explain a complex treatment plan using Digital Smile Design and you see your patient’s eyes glaze over. The frustration of adjusting restorations that don’t quite match what you or your patient envisioned. The disconnect can happen between your clinical vision, the lab’s execution, and your patient’s expectations.
These communication gaps cost chair time, affect case acceptance, patient satisfaction, and, ultimately, your practice’s reputation.
RWD Dental Image, based in Bondi Junction in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, has partnered with hundreds of dentists across Australia and internationally.
These dentists understand aesthetic dentistry isn’t just about technical excellence—it’s about transforming lives through predictable, beautiful outcomes that patients can visualise before treatment even begins.
The Digital Revolution in Your Dental Practice
Think of aesthetic dentistry as a Polaroid picture. Historically, you’ve had to take the picture and wait for everything to develop in the background, hoping the final result matches what you and your patient discussed.
That approach has been completely transformed with Digital Smile Design (DSD).
This represents a complete paradigm shift from traditional approaches where much was left to interpretation and the skilled hands of technicians working somewhat independently from you and your clinical team.
Understanding Digital Smile Design in Your Practice
Digital Smile Design, pioneered by Christian Coachman, has revolutionised how you can conceptualise, plan, and execute aesthetic treatments. This systematic approach allows you to work backwards on each case, ensuring every step—from preparation to final restoration—serves the ultimate aesthetic and functional goals your patients expect.
DSD integrates seamlessly with other platforms like Smile Cloud, 3Shape, and Exocad, creating a digital ecosystem that enhances communication between our laboratory, your clinical team, and most importantly, your patient.
The process begins with high-quality photographs and videos of your patient, which are then analysed using specialised software. This analysis considers facial proportions, smile dynamics, and functional considerations to create a virtual design that serves as the blueprint for the entire treatment.
DSD: Solving Traditional Challenges
Hover over or click the cards below to see how Digital Smile Design addresses common issues in traditional dentistry.
Traditional Challenge >
Patients struggle to visualise the final outcome.
DSD Solution
Provides a tangible digital preview and mockups.
Traditional Challenge >
Communication gaps lead to unexpected results.
DSD Solution
Creates a clear blueprint and systematic workflow.
Traditional Challenge >
Less predictability means more adjustments and chair time.
DSD Solution
Ensures predictable outcomes by planning the end result first.
Transforming Your Patient Experience with DSD
The most profound impact of Digital Smile Design is on patient psychology and case acceptance in your practice. Traditional methods often left patients in the dark, unable to visualise the potential outcomes of significant investments in their smile.Now, through detailed digital mockups and even 3D-printed models that can be temporarily placed in your patient’s mouth, you can provide a tangible preview of the final result. This transformation from abstract concept to visible reality fundamentally changes your consultation process. “
We see very high patient acceptance when this workflow is followed.” notes Rob Dulieu.
This isn’t surprising—when your patients can see and feel their potential new smile, treatment becomes less about technical procedures and more about the emotional journey toward self-confidence you’re guiding them through.
Case Study: Bridging Distance Through Digital Workflows
The power of these digital workflows extends beyond the local dental community. Recently, RWD Dental Image collaborated with dentists in Perth, 3,000 kilometres from our Sydney laboratory.
Through quality photography and digital communication, we developed comprehensive designs that were shared with the dentists and their patients. The visual impact of seeing potential outcomes led to immediate treatment acceptance, and the digital workflow ensured consistent communication throughout the treatment process.
This case exemplifies how digital technologies improve aesthetic outcomes and break down geographical barriers to collaboration. Your practice location is never a limitation to accessing our expertise.
Implementing Digital Smile Design in Your Practice
Adopting a Digital Smile Design (DSD) workflow requires some initial investment in equipment and training. This leads to returns for your practice, both in case acceptance and treatment predictability, which are substantial.
Essential DSD Equipment for Your Dental Practice
At a minimum, we recommend for your practice:
- An SLR camera with a macro lens and an appropriate flash setup
- Standardised photography protocols for consistent images
- Video recording capabilities (even a smartphone can capture valuable dynamic data)
The Digital Smile Design Workflow in Your Practice
- Capture Phase: Collect comprehensive photography, including full-face, profile, noon, retracted views, and occlusal views
- Analysis Phase: Upload images to DSD software for facial and dental analysis
- Design Phase: Collaborative design sessions between you and our laboratory
- Mockup Phase: Transfer designs to 3D models for your patient try-in
- Treatment Phase: Use the approved design as a guide for preparation and restoration
- Delivery Phase: Compare final results with initial designs to ensure fidelity
Communication Protocols for Successful Cases
The success of any Digital Smile Design case depends on clear, consistent communication between all stakeholders. This means:
- Regular digital sharing of designs and modifications
- Clear documentation of patient feedback
- Transparent discussion of technical limitations and aesthetic possibilities
- Continuous reference to the approved design throughout treatment
Beyond Aesthetics: The Emotional Transformation You Create
While the technical aspects of Digital Smile Design are impressive, the most powerful dimension is the emotional impact on your patients.
“There’s never a dry eye in the house” Rob Dulieu shares about the moment patients see their new smiles for the first time. “Some of the stories that we’re told of how it’s changed people’s lives in getting better jobs, promotions, just having a better outlook on life… a smile is the window to happiness.”
This emotional transformation reminds us that when you provide dental aesthetics, you go far beyond technical excellence—you’re helping patients become the best versions of themselves, often after years of hiding their smiles due to embarrassment or anxiety.
The Future of Digital Smile Design in Your Practice
As technology advances, you’ll benefit from even more integration between different digital platforms, creating seamless workflows from initial consultation to final restoration.
From our lab in Bondi Junction, Sydney, we’re connected to dentists nationwide and internationally. We’re leveraging artificial intelligence, which is already beginning to play a role, with tooth libraries that can suggest natural forms suited to individual facial characteristics. These developments will further enhance your aesthetic treatments’ predictability and efficiency.
Creating Natural Smiles to Change Lives—Together
Digital Smile Design represents much more than technological advancement. DSD fundamentally rethinks how you can approach aesthetic dentistry in your practice.
“Visualising the end result before beginning the procedure creates predictable pathways to beautiful, natural smiles that truly change lives.” ~ Rob Dulieu
At RWD Dental Image, we remain committed to being at the forefront of these digital innovations while maintaining our core philosophy of “quality without compromise.” From our base in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, we invite dentists from across Australia and beyond to partner with us through our educational programs or collaborative case planning.
Rob Dulieu reminds us, “Our responsibility is to try and make our patients smile with the results of the restorations that we’re making.”
With Digital Smile Design and a partnership with RWD Dental Image, that responsibility becomes a predictable promise for your practice—no matter where you’re located.
Frequently Asked Questions: Digital Smile Design
What is Digital Smile Design (DSD) and how does it enhance patient communication?
Digital Smile Design is a systematic approach to aesthetic dentistry that utilises high-quality photographs, videos, and specialised software to analyse a patient’s facial and dental structures. By creating a virtual design of the desired outcome, DSD allows patients to visualise their potential new smile before treatment begins, leading to improved understanding and communication between the dentist and patient.
How does DSD improve treatment predictability and outcomes?
DSD enables dentists to work backwards from the desired aesthetic and functional goals, ensuring each step—from preparation to final restoration—is aligned with the patient’s expectations. This integration with platforms like Smile Cloud, 3Shape, and Exocad enhances collaboration between the dental team and laboratory, resulting in more predictable and satisfactory outcomes.
What impact does DSD have on patient case acceptance?
By providing detailed digital mock-ups and 3D-printed models that patients can see and even try in their mouths, DSD transforms abstract treatment plans into tangible previews. This clarity boosts patient confidence and often leads to higher case acceptance rates, as patients can better understand and anticipate the results of their investment.
Can DSD be implemented in practices located far from specialised laboratories?
Yes, DSD facilitates remote collaboration through digital workflows. For instance, RWD Dental Image successfully partnered with dentists in Perth, 3,000 kilometres from their Sydney laboratory, by sharing comprehensive designs digitally. This approach ensures consistent communication and quality outcomes, regardless of geographical location.
What are the essential tools and steps to implement DSD in a dental practice?
Implementing DSD requires some initial investment in equipment and training. Essential tools include an SLR camera with a macro lens, appropriate flash setup, standardised photography protocols, and video recording capabilities. The DSD workflow involves capturing comprehensive patient images, analysing them using specialised software, collaboratively designing the smile, creating 3D models for patient try-ins, and using the approved design as a guide for treatment and final restoration.
Robert Dulieu is the Owner & CEO of RWD Dental Image PTY LTD, a premier dental laboratory specialising in implant and cosmetic restorations. With over 30 years of experience in dental technology and prosthetics, Rob has lectured internationally on implant restorative solutions and advanced ceramic techniques. As a registered Dental Prosthetist, Ceramist, and Dental Technician, he continues to pioneer excellence in dental laboratory services across Australia.
